Combined balance and leveling hinge for piano-keys.



' J. L. MARQUIS.

BLUE PRINT MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 24. 1913.

1,246,974. 1 Patented Nov. 20,1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT orsion.

CLARKSON E. rIeKAnD AND EDWARD n'oonnoiv, or MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa.

COMBINED BALANCE AND LEVELING HINGE FOR PIANO-KEYS.

Application filed April 25, 1916.

piano key mounting and more particularly to a combined balancing and leveling hinge for the key.

The invention has as its primary object to provide a construction which will eliminate the use of the ordinary balance pin and which will accordingly also eliminate the necessity for the presence of an opening in the key to receive the saidpin.

The invention has as a further object to provide a device of this character wherein the key may be adjustedrelative to the body of the hinge for leveling the key.

And a still further object of the invention is to provide a hinge having a felt or other fibrous bushing so associated therewith that the said hinge will be entirely silent in operation.

Other. and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds and in the drawings wherein we have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a piano key equipped with one of our improved hinges, the key being shown in connection with a conventional type of key bed which is illustrated partly in section,

Fig. Qis a sectional view more particularly showing the construction and mounting of the hinge,

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the body of the hinge detached,

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the blank from which the body of the hinge is formed.

In order that the construction, mounting and operation of our improved hinge may be more readily understood, we have, in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

Serial No. 93,562. Y

drawings, shown the improved device in connection with a usual type of piano key 10 with which is associated a key frame 11 having a front rail 12, a center rail 13 and a back rail 14 upon the upper side of which is arranged the usual felt 15 to come beneath the rear end of the key.

In carrying out the invention, we employ a hinge body of the type illustrated in detail in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This hinge body is preferably formed of resilient sheet metal, although any other suitable material be employed and includes a fiat bottom wall 16 which is provided at opposite sides there of, with coacting upstanding flanges 17 The hinge body is preferably formed from a blank as illustrated in detail in Fig. 1 of the drawin'gs. This blank is substantially circular and is formed with spaced parallel fold lines at opposite sides of the center thereof to define the said bottom wall 16 as well as the flanges 17 Struck from the bottom wall 16, at a point substantially midway the ends thereof are coacting pintle lugs or cars 18 which are bent to depend from the bottom wall 16 at opposite sides thereof and are formed with suitable registering openings. It will be noted that in thus striking the lugs 18 from the bottom wall 16, an opening is provided in the said bottom wall. The purpose of thisopening will presently appear.

The hinge body as thus formed receives the key 10 between the flanges 17 thereof with thesaid flanges confronting opposite sides of the key and with the key seated against the bottom wall 16 of the hinge body. .Gonnecting the hinge body to, the key, are front and rear screws or other suit-' able fastening devices 19 and 19' respectively. The front screw 19 is engaged in a suitable notch in the bottom wall 16 of the hinge body at one extremity thereof while the rear screw 19 is freely fitted through a suitable opening formed in the said bottom wall adjacent the-opposite extremity of the hinge body, these screws being threaded into the bottom of the key. Preferably, the key 10 is, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, cut away to receive the hinge body so them on to the exposed or fixed contact surthe rod 55, facilitating the discharge of the drawing and sensitized paper on to the table 15. i i The fixed contact surface having its body formed of fine screenor mesh material has properties and advantages over glass. It

' fixed member may be made more trans arent than lass. It will not crack or brea because of cat. One of the most important features of this particular character of contact surface is that tracings will not slip as they frequently do on glass surfaces. This slippmg iscaused apparently by the electrification of the glass.

What is claimed is 1. A blue fixed member composed of fine wire mesh and affording a curved contact surface and amoving member having a contact surface for carrying the work through the machine in engagement withthe fixed curved contact surface, the wires of the meshf bein inclined to the direction of the movement 0 the material through the machine.

2. A blue print machine comprising a fixed member composed of fine wire mesh and affording a curved contact surface and a moving member having a contact surface for carrying the work' through'the machine in engagement with the fixed contact surface and 1n a direction substantially." at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the fixed contact surface, the fine wires of the wire mesh being inclined to the direction of movement of the material through the machine.

'3. -A blue print machine comprising a composed of fine wire; mesh and afiordin moving mem er havin' a contact surface for carrying the work t rough the machine I 1n engagement with the fixed contact surface and 1n a direction substantially at right print machine comprising a a work throu a curved contact surface, a

angles to the longitudinal axis of the fixed contact surface, the fine wires of the wire mesh being inclined to the direction of movement of the material through the machine, and a metal frame work composed of wire mesh stretched tightly over the aforesaid wire mesh and whose wires are inclined angles to the longitudinal axis of the fixed contact surface, the fine wires of the wire mesh being inclined to the direction of movement of the material through the machine, a

lamp support, and a lamp suspended from' I said support to throw rays of light into said fixed member through said opening in the top thereof; a

5. A blueprint machine comprising a fixed member composed of fine wire mesh affording a contact surface, a moving memberhavmg a contact surface to carry the gh the machine in en agement with the fixed contact surface, the of the fixed member being inclined to the direction of movement of the material through the machine, and a strengthening member for said fine wire wires of the mesh being inclined to the direction of the movement of the material through the machine.

In testimony whereof I ,aflix my signature in presence of two 'witn.

JOSEPH L. MARQUIS. 1 Witnesses:

Lxoiv J. Mnnqms, VIo'roa Hanna;

mesh fixed con-. tact member composed of wires inclined to ewires print machine comprising a by the hinge body at one side thereof and ioning the hinge body upon the flange 11narranged opposite said opening, a flange der the load of a key. engaged at one extremity with said pintle In testimony whereof We afiix our signa- 10 and supporting the hinge body to rock tures.

5 upon the flange, and means disposed in said opening and bearing against the ad- CLARKSON E. PICKARD. [L.S.] jacent extremity of the flange for cush- EDWARD L. COND ON. [L.S.]

Copies of this pat ent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

